Follows

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of someone trapped in a stagnant existence, feeling frozen and disconnected. The opening lines describe a life lived "behind glass," a metaphor for emotional detachment and a sense of being observed rather than participating. This initial state feels like a memory that won't fade, hinting at a persistent, inescapable past or emotional state. The narrator acknowledges a life that was merely a shell, suggesting a profound lack of fulfillment. The core tension arises from the futile attempts to escape an internal struggle. The repeated phrase "killing time" underscores a sense of aimlessness, with nightly excursions serving as a temporary balm. This is fueled by "chemical courage," a desperate attempt to mask deeper anxieties and things the narrator is actively trying to suppress. The repeated warnings from another voice – "Nothing will make this easier" and "Running won't get you away from this" – highlight the futility of this avoidance strategy. The most striking craft element is the relentless repetition of "It follows wherever I go." This refrain transforms an abstract feeling into a tangible presence, an inescapable shadow. The imagery of a "worried mind like a camera lens / With no clarity left" powerfully conveys a fractured perception, where the narrator tries to "filter out what I want to forget." This desperate act of erasure, wiping away "away all the names and the faces," is ultimately undermined by the persistent, following entity. The lyrics achieve their emotional weight through this stark contrast between the desire for escape and the inescapable reality of the internal burden. The final, extended section of "Breathing in slow / Breathing out and letting go" offers a potential, albeit tentative, resolution. This rhythmic, repetitive act suggests a conscious effort to find peace and acceptance, a slow, deliberate process of release in the face of something that "follows wherever I go."